IRVINE, Calif. – Concordia women's volleyball team continued PacWest play on Friday night, where they brought in first-place Azusa Pacific. The Cougars came out on top in four sets by a score of 25-22, 25-20, 25-27, 25-21, but the Eagles did not go down without a fight.
 
Freshman outside hitter Cambria Fernandez put down a season-high 12 kills and sophomore middle blocker Renae Ross hit .308 off a career-high seven kills. Ross' counterpart, freshman Hannah Tostado, collected six blocks with two being solos. Naomi Jean stepped up at the libero position with 16 digs and Ailsa Watson led the offense with a match-high 28 assists.
 
Concordia got out to an early 3-0 lead to start the match before Azusa Pacific would tie the set at 11. The Cougars gained momentum to take a 18-14 lead, but a Riley Gill kill and two APU errors brought the Eagles within one. Fernandez took a swing on the right side for a kill to cut the lead to 23-22 but Concordia ultimately for CUI dropped the next two points to end the set.
 
Azusa Pacific would continue to strike, leading 8-3 in the second until Tostado picked up a block. Both teams traded points with Kylie Breitenwischer and Ross contributing on offense. APU went on a run to get ahead 14-7, before Fernandez terminated two sets and Jean served a short ball in front of her opponents for an ace. Down 23-16, a quartet of Concordia points put fight back in the Eagles. But a hitting error from the Green and Gold combined with a Cougar kill gave APU a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Momentum had shifted in the third with Concordia forcing an early Azusa Pacific timeout at 7-3. A double-block by Breitenwishcer and Tostado put CUI up 14-6, for their largest lead of the match. Later in the set, four APU errors would inch the Eagles closer to a set victory at 20-12. A 9-2 run for the Cougars put them within two at 22-20 and eventually bring them back to tie the set at 24-24. Azusa Pacific gained a match point before Concordia sparked a 3-0 run to steal the set back and extend the match with a 26-24 victory.
 
The fourth set was a battle with Concordia looking to take the match to five and Azusa Pacific trying to close it out. A Jaclyn Brown kill and double-block from Gill and Tostado put their team up by two, 11-9. An APU error, tied the set at 18-18, but the Cougars rolled to the end taking seven of the last eight points for the win.
 
Concordia falls to 7-18 and 6-11 in conference and will continue play Saturday night at 5 p.m. on the road where they face fifth place Point Loma.